Charmed Redone
by AutumnRiver
Summary: What if the sisters met Paige before Prue died? Before they became witches?
1. The begining

_Disclaimer: Don't own, wish I did. I'd be rich. _

Penny Halliwell folded the letter and put it in the envelope with a sigh. On the front was written, 'To my Granddaughters Prue, Piper and Phoebe.' She hoped that she was doing the right thing. But even if she was wrong, this was family and family came first.

"Mother, are you sure about this? The girls wont understand why they were never told. And what if they get punished for this?"

Penny looked at the ghost of her daughter and smiled. "You know how I feel about this Patty. Even if they lose their powers for this it's the right thing to do." Then her usual confidence came through. "Besides, the Elders are big believers in free will and they have no right to interfere. Trust me my darling. The girls may not understand right away but they will soon."

Patty smiled at her mother which then turned to concern when Penny doubled over.

"Mom are you alright?"

Penny straightened with a grimace rubbing her heart. She knew she didn't have much time left. She just needed enough to complete this last task. Just put the letter with her will so the girls didn't have to worry about it's contents until after the funeral.

"Leo. Leo" Leo wasn't technically her Whitelighter. Never had been, although they had been friends for many years. He had, however, become her unofficial Whitelighter after Patty had died and Penny had refused to work with her own. Sam may have been responsible for Patty, but Natalie had known her her entire life. She should have been watching and helping.

A stream of blue and white lights cut off Penny's thoughts. The lights faded after a second to reveal a good-looking young man with dark blonde hair and green eyes. He turned to Penny with a smile.

"Penny, what can I do for you?"

Penny smile back in response. Leo had been so good to her for so many years. With Leo she felt safe and always knew she could just be herself. She could be vulnerable with him. Something she refused to be with anyone else.

"Leo, I just wanted to thankyou for everything. Promise me you'll always look after my girls. And not just as their Whitelighter, but as their friend. With everything that they're going to go through they're going to need all the friends they can get."

Leo laughed quietly. "Penny you know you don't have to ask." Then he looked up, focusing on something only he could hear. "I'm sorry Penny I have to go." He looked at her sadly for a moment before stepping forward to hug her tightly. "I'm going to miss you."

Penny held on for a second longer before pushing him away. "Just don't you forget me to soon." She wasn't all that concerned that he would. They had been to close for to long.

Leo laughed again. "I don't think anyone who has _ever_ met you could forget you. You're just far to memorable for your own good." Then he vanished into the blue and white lights as quickly as he'd come.

Penny looked around the attic after Leo left and spotted the Book Of Shadows on the stand a few feet away. Raising her arm and pointing two fingers at the Book, she used her power of telekinesis to lift the Book into the air and placed it into a trunk closing the lid. Lowering her arm she turned to her daughter. Picking up one of the candles that helped to bring Patty to her she said "It wont be much longer. Good night my darling."

Patty smiled with a touch of sadness. "Goodnight Mom. I'll see you soon."

Penny blew out the candle and Patty vanished in a swirl of golden lights.

Holding the letter tightly in her hand, Penny took a last look around. She would never see the attic again as a living being. The thought saddened her. So much had happened in this room. But that was the past now. There wasn't much more of the future. She couldn't waste any time.

Leaving the attic she closed the door and used her power to lock it. The girls weren't ready for what lay in wait for them there. In time they would find their way in. But for now they had other things to focus on.

Walking to the stairs she felt another pain in her chest. 'Not yet' she thought. 'I need a little bit longer.' But just as the pain began to fade another hit stronger then ever. Doubling over she lost her balance and fell down the stairs.

As Penny's body came to a stop at the bottom her own spirit formed as see-through as her daughter had been just a minute before. Next to her formed a man dressed completely in black. He held out his hand to her. "It's time." Footsteps sounded along the hall.

Penny watched sadly as her second granddaughter Piper found her body.

"Prue! Phoebe!" Piper shouted in a panic.

Penny could do nothing to help. Instead she took the outstretched hand of the Angel of Death and knew no more.

Prue came running up to Piper's side. "Grams! Grams!" She tried to wake her grandmother but it was to late. Together the sisters started crying. Piper held Penny to her tightly. Her Grams had always been there. When their father left, when their mother died. It had been Grams that looked after them, raised them from small children to the women they are now. Piper had only a few memories of her mother. Phoebe had none. Grams was the only one they really knew. Except Prue. But even for the eldest sister it was like losing their mother all over again.

"What's that?" Prue was looking at Penny's hand. In it was a crumpled envelope. Prue carefully removed it from Penny's grip. When she saw what was written on it she cried even harder.

"We need to make some calls. Grams had everything planned. All we have to do is get it started." That was Prue, ever practical no matter the situation.

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Two hours later Penny had been removed to the funeral home. Phoebe had returned home just as the ambulance left. Now all three sisters sat in the kitchen staring at the envelope on the table.

"Should we open it now or do we wait? I mean- what do we do?" Phoebe asked.

"We might as well open it now" said Prue and picked up the letter. Carefully unfolding it she took a deep breath. Then she started to read the letter aloud.

"_My Darling Girls,_

_I'm so sorry that I had to leave you already. Believe me it wasn't my idea. There was so much that I wanted to do and see before this. Like seeing you all become wives and mothers. Sadly that wasn't meant to be. You know that I love you more than anything in this world. No matter the disagreements that have occurred between us and what is to come never forget that. _

_I know that you will be angry with what I have to tell you and I don't blame you for it. At the time we thought that we were doing the right thing. All these years later I still think that to an extent. And now that I have worried you so completely I will tell you what I am talking about. There is now easy way to say this so here goes-_

_You have another sister. Her name is Paige. She was born on August 2nd__ 1977. She has a different father to you girls. He was someone your mother cared for greatly. They had known each other for some years before getting involved. She was loved greatly by your mother and her father but they couldn't keep her. Your Mother and I didn't tell you for reasons that I can't go into right now. I understand that this is greatly confusing and that you will be angry but Paige is still family. Don't be mad at her as she has no idea who her family is. The reasons for your Mother giving her up may still exist or they may not. Only time will tell. If you choose to get in touch with her the information is in this letter. She doesn't know that I've kept an eye on her over the years. I'm sorry that we never told you but we thought we were doing the right thing. _

_What you decide on next is entirely up to you._

_Remember always that you are loved, not just by me but by your Mother as well._

_Blessed Be, My Darlings._

_Grams."_

The sisters stared at each other in shock after Prue put the letter down. Whatever they had been expecting this was not it. Phoebe was the first to speak.

"We have another sister? Why- Why wouldn't they have told us? Why did they give her up? What could have been so bad that they sent her away? And who is her Father? Prue, you remember Mom the most. Any clues?"

"None. I mean it was so long ago and I would only have been 6 almost 7 years old. And I don't understand why Mom gave her up either. But she loved us all so much there had to of been a good reason. Right?" She looked to Piper almost desperately.

"I don't know. Maybe. But if Grams thought the reason still might exist it had to be big. I have no idea what it could be though. But more importantly- Do we find her? Do we tell her we're her family? She may not even know that she's adopted. And how would we explain why she was given up and not us? And we don't even know who her Father is. What could we tell her?"

Phoebe had picked up the letter and was reading it again.

"Grams is right about one thing Piper. Well two things actually. First Paige is family. Now that we know about her do you honestly think we can just walk away and pretend that we don't know anything?"

Prue and Piper both nodded in agreement. Then Piper asked "What's the other thing Grams was right about?

"Oh you know, just that I'm pretty dammed mad that we were never told! I just don't get how she never told us about Paige and then leaves it until _after_ she dies so that we can't even _yell_ at her!" Phoebe stoped suddenly as she realised that yes Grams was dead and would never be coming back. She tried to fight back the tears with little success. Piper stood and walked around to her little sister and hugged her as she too started crying again.

"Look on the bright side. At least you wont be the youngest anymore and Prue will have someone else to boss around." Phoebe laughed at that while Prue tried to look angry but ended up laughing instead.

"She's right Phoebs. But there is one other thing we haven't considered. What if Paige doesn't want to know us? For all we know she's got a great life going for her and doesn't want to change anything." Piper and Phoebe paused as they thought about Prue's concerns.

"But we have to try guys" Phoebe stated. "It's Paige's choice if she want's to know us or not. But she can't make that choice if she isn't given all the information. Great life or no."

Prue and Piper nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we tell her then. Grams left all the details in the letter. Where do we find her?" asked Piper.

Prue took the letter out of Phoebe's hand ignoring her loud "Hey!" Turning to the last piece of paper she found what she wanted. "San Francisco University. She's staying in the main dorms."

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The next morning all three sisters were up early. To early for Phoebe's liking but she couldn't sleep. She walked into the kitchen where Prue and Piper already sat and headed straight for the coffee.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" asked Piper.

"No. I kept thinking about Grams and Paige. We're going to have to go through Grams things now don't we? And there's the funeral. I was wondering when are we going to talk to Paige? Do we do it straight away or wait for after the funeral?"

Prue answered first. "Grams already had everything organised about the funeral. You know how much she liked to control everything."

"You come by it honestly. Good to know." Phoebe laughed while Prue ignored Piper's interruption.

"There are some calls we should make. Like to Aunt Gail. Let her know about Grams ourselves. The funeral wont be for another four days. Think we can wait that long?"

Prue looked at her sisters waiting for their response. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other before Phoebe answered.

"I for one can't wait that long. Besides, at least it will give us something to do. And maybe Paige will want to attend as well. She may not have known Grams, but Grams was still her grandmother. Again, Paige's choice."

Prue and Piper nodded.

"Right, so we make the calls and then go and meet Paige. Meet here ready to go in two hours?" Prue asked. Piper and Phoebe agreed and everyone left to get ready for the day ahead.


	2. Meeting Paige

Prue pulled the Jeep up in the visitors car park at San Francisco University. Together the sisters stared at the buildings nearby. It took several minutes before Phoebe finally moved out of the car calling to the others "Sitting here isn't going to get it done. Never thought I'd see the day I made the first move instead of you, Prue!" Prue glared at her as she and Piper got out of the car.

"You've made the first move plenty of times. And I'm just a little worried O.K. We're about to change everything about our lives. That doesn't worry you even a little?"

"Yes" muttered Piper.

"Yeah, a bit" answered Phoebe. "But our lives have changed anyway. With Grams gone and the letter she left nothing will ever be the same. But going to see Paige now is better then leaving ourselves in- limbo."

Prue and Piper had no comeback for that. Instead Prue linked arms with Piper as Piper took Phoebe's hand. As one they started towards the dorms.

"So, does anyone have any clue how we do this, or do we just blurt out 'Hi we're your long lost sisters'?" asked Piper.

There was silence, then Prue said "I guess we just play it by ear. I mean, what other choice do we have?"

"First things first. We have to find her before we can tell her anything" said Phoebe.

It took the sisters a while to find the right dorm house and then the right dorm. The time was spent mostly in silence. But finally they were standing outside their as yet unknown sisters dorm.

After almost a full minute "Somebody has to knock" said Phoebe. "People are starting to stare." When the other two looked at her she said defensively "Hey, I got out of the car first. Somebody else's turn."

"What if she's not even here?" asked Piper.

"Only one way to find out" said Prue and knocked on the door. Almost immediately the door opened.

"Can I help you?" asked the young woman that answered.

"Um, hi. Um, I'm Prue Halliwell. We're looking for Paige Matthews?"

"You found her. What can I do for you?" The three Halliwell's stared for a moment. They could see the resemblance between Paige and themselves. They honestly weren't expecting it.

Finally Piper spoke when Paige started to show discomfort. "Sorry. This isn't easy and we're making a mess of it already. Uh, we need to talk to you and it's going to be very difficult for everyone. Would you like to grab some coffee with us? All nice and public so your not left alone with the apparently crazy woman."

Paige laughed. She didn't know why, but she trusted these strange woman. Which was strange in and of itself because she didn't trust easily or foolishly.

"Sure. I'll just get my coat. Then you can tell me why you look like you've seen a ghost."

The four women went to the campus coffee shop. Once they had their drinks they sat at one of the outdoor tables. Anyone looking at them would correctly assume that they were related. When it looked like none of the Halliwell's knew how to start Paige did.

"So do I get to know why we're here?"

"Sorry. Maybe we should start with introductions. I already said I'm Prue. These are my younger sisters Piper and Phoebe. Piper already told you this was going to be difficult. All we ask is that you hear us out. If you want us to leave and never see you again we will. Alright?"

"O.K now you're making me nervous" said Paige. Everyone straightened as Prue took Grams letter out of her pocket.

"Um O.K. So this isn't going to mean anything to you right off so just bear with us."

"For god's sake you're making me anxious now Prue" exclaimed Phoebe. Paige laughed, relaxing slightly as Prue glared at Phoebe. Piper took over the explanation.

"So to start with, our mom, Patty, died when we were really young. And because our dad wasn't around, we lived with our grandmother Penny." She paused and looked at Paige. The younger woman was a little confused but listened intently. "Grams was one of those tough old woman who no one in their right mind argued with. She was very good at making you feel guilty when you screwed up. Any way she- died last night."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I know what it's like losing family" sympathised Paige. Then Phoebe took over the explanation.

"Thank you. Anyway, she wrote a letter just before she died. The letter was for us and it said-" Phoebe cut off and looked to her sisters for help. Paige tensed realizing that the letter was the reason behind this strange visit. Prue held out the letter and finished "Maybe you should read it yourself."

Paige blinked surprised. "Are you sure. I mean it must be personal."

"No I think you have every right to know what Grams had to say. I'm not sure how you're going to take it mind. You may not even be aware of some of the things in it" Piper answered.

Paige was now thoroughly confused. She hesitated before reaching for the letter. Taking it from Prue's outstretched hand, she glanced at the sisters again before reading the letter. As Paige read the sisters tried to stay still. When Paige finished she looked up at the others in shock. Then she read the letter for a second time. Then a third. Finally she handed the letter back to Prue.

"Well that explains the way you've been acting." The Halliwell's became even more nervous as Paige just sat there deep in thought for a while.

"Look, we didn't mean to cause any problems for you Paige. We just thought you had a right to know so you could decide for yourself what happens. If you want us to go away and leave you alone forever we will" said Piper.

"What? No! Sorry. It's a lot to take in, that's all. Answers a few questions. Raises a lot more. I've actually thought about trying to find my biological family for a while now."

"So you did know about being adopted. We were kind of worried that you didn't and we'd throw your life into chaos or something" said Phoebe. All of the sisters were relieved that that obstacle was effectively removed.

"No I've known for years. My parents told me. I've been curious about it all ever since. Don't get me wrong, I loved my parents, God rest. They were the best. I just wanted to know, you know?"

"Were?" asked Prue. "They died?"

"Yeah. A few years ago." Paige looked away from the others. "It was a car crash."

Paige couldn't hid her sadness so Piper simply reached over to hug her. When they separated Paige asked "So what happens now?"

"That's entirely up to you" said Phoebe. "We would love to get to know you and everything. You're our sister." Paige smiled. It was a little weird but she thought that she could get used to it. Then Prue chimed in.

"I'm sorry that I have to leave Paige, but there are some things for Grams funeral that I need to take care of. And I need to talk to Roger as well."

"It's O.K. And don't take this the wrong way, but it's a lot to take in. If you don't mind I'd like some time to sort it out." At their disappointed looks Paige hurried on. "I want to get to know you guys, I just need some time. Is that alright?"

"Of course" said Piper. "Like we said, it's up to you how we go about this. You set the pace. We can leave you our phone numbers and address so you can contact us whenever you want."

Paige smiled, glad that they understood. Piper pulled a notebook from her bag and wrote down their contact information. Then together the four sisters headed back to the parking lot.

"So what is it that you're studying anyway?" asked Phoebe.

"Social Work. I- want to be a Social Worker. You know, try to help others in not-so-good situations. What about you guys?"

"Well, Prue works at the Museum of Natural History, Piper's at the San Francisco Bank and I'm… between… work right now" answered Phoebe. Off Prue's look she added "What? I just haven't figured out what I want to do yet Prue. Sometimes these things take time!"

Paige turned to Piper a little concerned. "I didn't say something I shouldn't have, did I?"

"What? No! Of course not. Prue and Phoebe just always fight about everything, that's all. They always have. Prue's very gung-ho and knows what she wants to do well in advance. She's always busy and takes her responsibilities seriously. Phoebe however, is a lot more laid back and relaxed. She never knows what's next until it smacks her in the head."

Paige laughed at the less than flattering descriptions while Prue and Phoebe glared at Piper.

"Well I know about the laid back approach. I used to be a bit of a wild-child. Got me into a lot of trouble actually."

Phoebe grinned, taking Paige's arm. "You know what? I think you and I are going to get along just great Paige. Just watch out for Prue. She likes to boss everyone around."

"That is so not true!" When the others just looked at her she conceded. "Well maybe it's a little bit true. But someone has to take charge. We can't all approach life like you do!"

Phoebe opened her mouth to respond but Piper cut in first. "O.K. That's enough you two. At this rate you're going to scare Paige away completely."

"No it's alright actually. At least this is real and not just an act you're putting on. This way I know what I'm getting myself into and wont be blind-sided later"

The Halliwells' all smiled in relief. At least they hadn't made her want to run away as far and as fast as possible.

They reached the car at that point and Prue turned to Paige again.

"We understand if you don't want to but you're welcome to come to the funeral. It's being held at the Mausoleum at the cemetery. 3 o'clock Saturday."

"Thanks, I'll think about it."

The Halliwells' each hugged Paige before saying goodbye. As the Jeep pulled away Paige stood and watched them leave. Everything she had learned that day was churning in her mind. She hoped that in time she would be as comfortable with her new sisters as they were with each other. Also she was trying to understand why she had been given up. Who was her Father? Was he still alive? What frightened Patty and Penny so much that they had to hide her? Was she in any danger? Would she ever find the answers to these new questions?

It was all so much for her to take in. Looking one last time in the direction that the Jeep had disappeared in, Paige took a deep breath. She wasn't one to hide from the unknown. She would handle this. Besides, she had three sisters to help her now. She wasn't alone in this and they seemed to be as confused as she was. They could manage this together. She only needed a bit of time to let it sink in.

Turning, Paige headed back to the dorms. She would think about this later. Right now she had class to get to.

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A/N: I know I'm getting some of the details wrong like the Uni Paige attends and I'm sorry. I'm trying to parallel this to the show as much as possible, just mixing it up by throwing Paige in early. That's all. Again, sorry for any mistakes.


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